From 4am, when the first shift began, passengers saw the likes of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman in the driving seat as the team at Stagecoach in Oxfordshire raised money for the local children’s and young adults’ hospice based in Cowley.

This is the second year running that Stagecoach in Oxfordshire has supported Helen & Douglas House.

Drivers donated money to take part in the event however, Clayton Moore, from Bicester, is one driver who wanted to raise even more money for the children’s hospice.

Clayton, who drives the Stagecoach in Oxfordshire S5 bus between Bicester and Oxford, was sponsored to dress up as three different superheroes during his 13 hour shift on the day.

Clayton said: “We’re dressing up as heroes for the day but the staff at Helen & Douglas House are the real heroes.

“It was great to see the likes of Batman, Superman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman in the driving seat of some of Oxfordshire’s Stagecoach buses and we hope by doing so we were not only raising money for the hospice but also helping to raise awareness of Helen & Douglas House and what the team there do for families from across the region.”

Joining the team for the day was 7-year-old Ted, who loves buses and features in a new bus advertising campaign, You can . . . Will you?, for the Helen & Douglas House Care Appeal.

Ted is 7 years-old and lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, with mum Zoe, dad Sven, older brother Miles (11) and younger sister Emilia (almost 2). He is a lively, fun-loving little boy who has a complex condition, Aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. This causes uncontrolled movement of his limbs and regular, severe and prolonged seizures, both of which are exhausting and debilitating. Ted has been coming to Helen House regularly for respite since early 2015 and the family stays in the hospice flats to be near him.

Zoe said; ‘When you are given a different journey in life you need a little help to make sure you have the strength, both mentally and physically, to be able to travel along your new path. Helen House has given us respite, time, love and care, which gives us all an inner strength. Without question we would be struggling without Helen & Douglas House. This exceptional charity needs the public’s support and we ask everyone to consider making a donation.’

Suzi Attree, Helen & Douglas House Corporate Fundraiser, says: “We are reliant on voluntary donations to raise the £5 million we need every year to run the hospice service. The support of company’s such as Stagecoach in Oxfordshire is invaluable to us.

“Comic heroes are something the children at Helen & Douglas House love so we’re delighted to be part of this fantastic fundraising idea. It can’t be easy driving a bus dressed as Batman or Robin!”